Scribus

Version1(as of 1/25/2016)
PlatformsWindows, Mac, Linux
LicenseOpen Source
CategoryProductivity
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Rating:3.2  |  27 Votes

Main Features

  • Create reports, brochures, and business cards
  • Export to PDF, EPS, and PNG formats
  • Save time with document templates
  • Insert text boxes, images, tables, shapes, and more

Software Overview

Scribus is a cross-platform, open source desktop publishing (DTP) program. The application can be used as a page layout and word processing program.

Scribus allows you to create a variety of documents such as reports, brochures, and business cards and save them as an .SLA or .SLA.GZ file. You can also export the document to the EPS, PDF, PNG, BMP, PPM, XBM, and XPM formats. Scribus provides templates for each style of document, which helps save time if you do not want to start from scratch. If you want to use your own page layout for multiple documents you can save your document as a template too.

Scribus comes with several features for designing the layout of your page. You can insert text boxes, shapes, lines, Bezier curves, text annotations, images, check boxes, and tables. The program also provides an eye dropper tool for identifying colors and a measurement tool for measuring distances.

Scribus is used as an alternative to expensive page layout and word processing applications like those offered in Microsoft Office and Adobe InDesign. It supports several popular file formats and provides some helpful page designing tools. As a free word processor Scribus is not the best available (OpenOffice's Writer is better) but as an open source DTP program, it packs a punch.

Primary File Type

sla icon.SLAScribus Document

Supported File Types

ExtensionFile Type
.SLAScribus Document
.AIAdobe Illustrator Artwork
.CVGCalamus Vector Graphic File
.EPSEncapsulated PostScript File
.ODGOpenDocument Graphic File
.PCTPicture File
.PDFPortable Document Format File
.PSPostScript File
.PYPython Script
.SLA.GZScribus Compressed Document
.SVGScalable Vector Graphic
.SXDStarOffice Drawing
.WMFWindows Metafile
Updated 1/25/2016